


The Light Within Me Is You

by SykoShadowRose



Series: Syko's 2020 Christmas Gift Collection [4]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe- Divine Beings, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bottom Qrow Branwen, Double Anal Penetration, Let's Wreck Qrow, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mpreg, Overstimulation, Top Clover Ebi, Top James Ironwood, Top Taiyang Xiao Long, background characters mentioned - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:28:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28323126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SykoShadowRose/pseuds/SykoShadowRose
Summary: Qrow has longed to belong to his friends but when he learn that they belong to each other he convinces himself he no longer has a place with them. It is up to them to make him understand how wrong he is.
Relationships: Clover Ebi/James Ironwood, Clover Ebi/Taiyang Xiao Long, James Ironwood/Taiyang Xiao Long, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi/James Ironwood/Taiyang Xiao Long, Qrow Branwen/James Ironwood, Qrow Branwen/Taiyang Xiao Long
Series: Syko's 2020 Christmas Gift Collection [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2074167
Comments: 17
Kudos: 53





	The Light Within Me Is You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Beware_The_Tristero](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beware_The_Tristero/gifts).



Qrow slid through the shadows cast by the waning sun, the mortals unknowing of his presence save for a chill down their spines and a sense of foreboding in their bones. He was not here for any of them, not today. He could see with the eyes of Death he was born with that the hourglasses that measured the length of their lives were still quite full. No, he was not here to bring any new souls to his sister this trip, though he considered it regardless.

He knew it was just his foul mood trying to compel him. The need to not be so alone seeking out the only reliable companionship he truly had. That was the whole reason he was here amongst the mortals to begin with. He’d left his dark domain to seek the warmer companionship of his friends, as it had been quite some time since he had last visited them. He knew that one of Clover’s festivals was coming up and the three were constantly trying to entice him into joining them in their frivolities. Qrow had thought it would be a pleasant surprise for him to finally attend one with them.

He should have known by now that the Misfortune he resided over would strike him as easily and readily as it would lash out at those unfortunate enough to be around him. 

Apparently he chose the wrong festival to attend, or he had missed much by being away as long as he had from his friends. Qrow was simply thankful that their eyes lacked the power to see him as long as he was shadow and spirit, that they knew nothing of how he had frozen once he had laid eyes upon their forms. That they were oblivious to how seeing Tai and Clover twined together had stabbed at his heart. That watching them beckon a flustered James had twisted the blade ever deeper. His blessing meant they would be ever ignorant to the way he had fled from the scene unfolding before him. Escaping the friends he had come to see because he could not bear the sight of them together while he stood alone.

He had expected Tai and Clover to join eventually, had thought he knew the hurt that would come with it. Life and Love were commonly linked by mortals, after all. It was bound to affect the immortals overseeing them. He should have considered that both would call to James as well. Tai’s Art to his Innovation. Clover’s Fortune to his War, which was so tragically often started over Love. Truly Qrow had thought he had a place amidst the lighter powers. His Death was the balance to Tai’s Life, his Misfortune to Clover’s Fortune. He had believed his Death would stand besides James’s War. They had convinced him he belonged with them as one of them. That they were more than just friends for what they existed for and guarded. Mayhaps they were, but they were still only friends, companions, _allies_. 

His absence had shown the others that he was not needed for them to find happiness and they had acted on that knowledge, as was their right.

Qrow slipped quietly into the domain he shared with his twin. taking refuge in his own home. He did not need the company of others witnessing his heartache at being so easily forgotten by his friends. Raven would only comment on the irony of how Memory was forgotten before dismissing his misery. He would not risk her becoming involved, lest she use him as an excuse to hunt them down and unleash her Vengeance on his friends. He would not allow her to bring them harm in his name for such a reason. They owed him nothing beyond the friendship they had offered. They were free to seek out each other in more intimate ways if they so desired. He would not begrudge them their bliss, their freedom, just because he ached for them. It would be wrong of him, cruel even, to do so and he did not think himself a cruel being. Mayhaps petty on occasion, but not cruel. 

Qrow would wait a bit longer, wait for the next festival to come and then he would return. Allow them the chance to announce the joyous news properly after he built up the shields around his heart and mastered the new mask he would be forced to don. It was not the first time he was forced to do such a thing to keep his peace with his friends. He was sure it would not be the last, not when Tai and Clover were both immortal powers with sway over Fertility. He simply needed a bit more time. 

They would never learn of his visit this night, not when he so rarely made it to their domain. Not when there was no pattern for them to discern for his appearances. All would be well by the time he emerged from his home. His Death would not be strong enough to taint them, not when his aspect revolved mostly on the Cycle of Rebirth. Raven was the one who held the Final Death. That was why he brought the souls while she ruled them. It would be enough that he could watch them build a family. He could be happy for them. He might even be able to help in some way. Mayhaps by choosing a particularly bright soul to be born for their child. Just not quite yet. When he was ready, but not now.

~*~

Clover watched the rising sun with dismay, knowing that the Shadow he wished to see would not come with the dawn. He had hoped, they all had, that Qrow would grace them with his presence that night, even if it were not for the celebrations taking place under the moon. It had been quite sometime since the Harbinger had stood with them and the empty space he had left behind throbbed and ached like an untended wound that festered. He and the others had sought peace together in the vacancy and found so much more than that in each other. He had heard tell amongst the mortals that Death brought people together, though he quite doubted the humans meant it in the way the three of them had slowly come together.

They just wished that Death was with them.

Unfortunately, while Death could tread into any domain, only those that Death granted pass could enter the shadows of Death’s domain. For them to seek out Qrow in his own territory they would require either Qrow’s or Raven’s blessing. He suspected the Keeper of Souls was the reason the Bringer of Souls had not given them such a gift, though he could think of no wrong they may have committed against the female to earn such exclusion. But Death’s Queen could be quite difficult to understand even when she was in a pleasant mood at the divine gatherings. As such they were left unknowing of their mistakes, trapped in the land of the living and unable to visit the friend they ached to see. 

Even the solace they sought with each other was no longer enough to soothe them, all three mournfully clinging to the others as they waited for their Shadow to finally return to them. He had been absent for so long, longer than he likely knew. Time passed differently in Death’s lands, Qrow coming to the land of light thinking it had been a season since he had last walked with them and finding it had been a year's time or more that had passed. They understood, accepted the way that Death slowed time for Qrow, how the shadows and darkness made every minute seem ageless, how the mourning made it seem never ending. They recognized that Memory made time stand still. 

They still loved Qrow for who and what he was.

It was not an easy burden to bear, this heavy love for the Harbinger. The time he spent apart from them stretched ever longer. This time was the longest he had ever been away, nearing a decade when before he had not gone more than a year and a few seasons. They worried for him as much as they longed for his return. They wanted, needed, the reassurance that he was well and whole. That nothing ill had befallen their Shadow while they could not be there to aid him. It seemed, though, that they would not be given such a reprieve this dawn.

Clover turned away to find Tai with his eyes shut, peacefully standing while he focused on the Sun he was bound to. Clover went to place a hand on his shoulder, lending him Light where it was most needed. It was becoming harder for them to complete their duties alone, the two of them bright and loving beings unused to such heartache. James fared better, more used to the way War tore apart the bonds betwixt the mortals waging it. It did not mean that he was unaffected by the weight on their shoulder, the cloak of lovelorn despair that was draped over them, only that he was better able to bear it. The eldest of the divine ushered them both back to their bedchamber once their task was complete, urging them to rest from the drain that should not have taxed them so. 

As deep blue eyes traced the strong lines of their bodies, James took note that their glow was not as bright, as vibrant, as it should be. As it had been in years past. They were dimming, unable to properly shine with the shattered hearts beating inside them. He pressed a kiss to each of their temples, wishing he could give them his strength, his Mettle, before he turned away. He may not have the power to bless Clover and Tai with the gifts they needed to go on as they were but he could do his best to change the course they were on. He simply had to call on the aid of another, though he would need to gain the blessing of another power before he could ask for such a favor. He expected it would not be easy, that his pride would be dealt a harsh blow long before they parted ways, but if it gained him what he sought, he would gladly take the hit.

~*~

Qrow looked up from his current task of ensuring no undeserving souls fell into the pits when he felt the approach of light where there should be none. His eyes met calm green, the young goddess keeping her steps steady over the field of the tortured damned. He went to meet her, wondering what Destiney had to say. He had spoken to her before briefly when she took on the title of Peaceful Death, as he had spoken to all four of those who had risen under the Overseer of Time each with an aspect over Death that either he or Raven had been tasked with teaching them. Pyrrha had learned her role quickly and rarely called on her former mentor, though when she did beckon him it was oft for the feud betwixt her and the one who held Fate and Violent Death. If she were here it was likely that there had been another dispute for him and Raven to handle. 

“What wrong has Cinder committed now?” He sighed, coming to a stop before the younger immortal. His brow furrowed when she smiled in place of telling her tale, when she did not petition for his aid but instead asked audience to his home. He granted it of course, he always would for her, but he did not understand what she was seeking from him.

“It has been long since you came to light. Is all well here in shadow?” Pyrrha sat primly on the chair, graciously accepting the refreshments offered by her host.

The gentle red eyes she had so foolishly feared once turned to her in question, trying to divine the purpose behind her inquisition. “There was need for stronger wards. The dark souls had begun to wear down the old ones and made to take over the bridge to the blessed.”

“Ah.” She nodded sagely in understanding. Such spells could take years to cast and weave properly, it was no wonder he had not seen the time that passed while he worked. “You have friends that miss you deeply. They inquired after your health and as they are unable to come to see themselves how you fare, I was asked to come in their stead.”

Qrow felt the blade in his chest twist sharply at the words, his mask holding it’s place on his face. He could not admit that he had finished before now. That he had gone to them only to turn his back and flee. He could not because it would reveal his secrets. It would appear that the time he had planned to take to steel himself was now over. The hourglass had run empty. It was time to face the friends he so desperately wished to be with. “I offer my sincerest apologies to them and to you. I will come to them when this final task is complete.”

Green eyes traced his features, taking in the strong set of them that told a story of hidden truths not wished to be seen, before she dipped her head in acknowledgement. “You owe me no such thing. I was pleased to see you again after so long away. I will pass the message on to your friends. I believe they will be pleased to hear it.” 

Qrow watched as the girl gracefully stood and made her way out, watching as she crossed over the barrier that kept the planes apart to carry his message, his promise, to those that were waiting for him. He cast one last look around his home, his sanctuary, before he returned to complete his task as he claimed he would. He was not sure if he was truly ready to face the three who awaited his arrival but he would have to make himself ready before he reached them. He just was not sure how to do it.

~*~

Tai let out a breath of relief when the shadows darkened that night, deepening until it became the portal from which Qrow walked out of. The Sun did not hesitate to step forward, pulling the slender entity into his embrace. Qrow gasped as he was surrounded by heat, the radiant light of Tai chasing away the chill that clung to him after being so long in his dark domain. He melted into the strong arms around him, letting the warmth he had so long denied himself seep down into his bones with a sigh. A second set of arms curled around him from behind, The brightness and light giving Clover away long before he pried his eyes open to see the tanned arms. James stood back from them, calmly waiting for the two beings of light to be done so he may also greet their long absent friend. When Qrow was finally released from the two he came closer to pull Qrow into his own arms, discreetly placing a kiss to the temple that was conveniently next to his lips.

“Qrow, it has been too long. We have missed you greatly.” James smiled as he let go, noting the faint blush on the pale cheeks though he did not know if it was from his words, from the three of them showing him such affection so openly, or if, mayhaps, he had not been as subtle as he had intended. Not that he could regret it. They intended to confess to Qrow before the Harbinger left them that morning. He could only pray to the powers that be, the ones even greater than them, that they would be welcomed and accepted. That their love would be returned. 

“My apologies. I had not realized I had been away so long…” A large hand fell on his shoulder to silence him, soft red eyes looking back to see teal.

“Pyrrha explain your absence to us. We know that your duties are important and we would never think to take you from them but, mayhaps…”

“You could allow us at the least a way to contact you in your domain?” Tai joined Clover at his back, crystal blue eyes pleading for some mercy.

Qrow bit his lip, ashamed to realize he had never thought to grant his friends such a small blessing. “Of course I shall. I… I should have given such a gift sooner. It would have spared us much trouble…” James’s hand came to rest on the small of his back, bringing his attention to the taller man. 

“It is in the past. What matters is that we will be able to send messages ourselves as opposed to relying on others to ferry them for us.” Qrow was led inside of Tai’s home, as warm and welcoming as it had ever been, though he could see the signs of the other gods within where before there had been none. There were weapons from James tucked into the corner, a casul mark of belonging, as well as drapes of green from Clover while previously Tai had only had yellows and golds within his home. It was a reminder to Qrow of what they had become, of how close they now were.

It was a reminder of what Qrow was not.

He forced a smile, the shape feeling odd upon his lips, and hoped that they believed his hesitancy to be from his long absence rather than his knowledge of what had occurred while he was away. He took the offered cup with hands that trembled, the pain more than he was ready to endure. He had thought that he could bear this heartache but it appeared it was too soon for him to carry such a burden. “If you will allow me a few moments I will be able to craft a few tokens that will permit you to send a message to me…”

James watched the shaking hands with concern, reaching out to tenderly steady one frail wrist. Had Qrow completely neglected himself in favor of his duties again? They were all guilty of such a thing though he and Qrow were by far the worst offenders and with Clover and Tai around, he was far less likely to do so. “That is a worry for later. For now, it looks to me as if you need rest.” 

Petal red eyes glanced around, taking in the worry and concern in the friends around him. He felt relief that they remained unknowing of the truth while also guilty that he caused them such unnecessary worry. His eyes fell to the hand around him, seeing for the first time how thin he had allowed himself to become. Mayhaps their worry was not completely misplaced then. The Harbinger allowed himself to be pulled along to a room by War, knowing that if he were to fight now there may be no repairing the damage done. Clover joined them, walking past to set up the bed for him. Clover wrapped an arm about his waist and pulled him down when he paused, when his eyes had hesitated too long on the shadows in the corner of the room, the fear that Qrow may return to his own home spiking. It had been too long since the Shadow had been with them and they were not yet ready for him to depart again. Not now when they had no way to contact him, not when they had no way of knowing when he would return to them.

He pulled the chilled body into the curve of his own, allowing his own warmth to seep into his friend. It was not as strong as Tai with his command of the Sun but it was enough. Enough that Qrow leaned into him, enough that the tenseness began to fade from the stiff form, enough that he could hear the gentle breaths slow into the deep steady rhythm of sleep. He felt James pull a blanket over them, heard the heavy steps as he left the room, and allowed himself to drift off, content to hold their Shadow for as long as he needed to rest.

~*~

Qrow was called back to wakefulness by hands lifting him, by more hands undressing him, by water hot enough that he gasped, eyes fluttering open to see what was going on. He saw Tai’s bathing chamber, the white marble and gold suns, the hotsprings it had been built around. Strong hands held his hips, keeping him against a built chest while someone else scrubbed his back and shoulders with a sweet smelling soap. He felt a third set of hands gently tip his head back to work more into his hair, keeping to suds from his eyes. One hand left his hips to support his back, keeping him from falling into the water while the others bathed him. He had been certain he had woken but mayhaps he hadn’t. It certainly felt more like a dream than anything his mind had conjured in the past. He hummed in pleasure as the hands finished cleaning him, lifting him out of the water to be dried. 

He wasn’t dressed again as he’d expected, instead he was wrapped in soft fabrics that slid enticingly against his skin, sending shivers down his spine. Was this how all the beings of light were treated? Were they all touched so tenderly, so sensually? If so, it was no wonder his twin was always so bitter about their place in darkness. It was not in him to hold such a petty grudge of things beyond their control but then, he was not the one who carried Vengeance in his heart and soul. Instead he basked in every caress, every lingering touch that he was denied as Death. He soaked it all in, committing it to memory for when he woke so that he could dream it again.

Hazy eyes blinked open when he felt something press against his lips, finding Tai hovering over him. He parted his lips to accept the offering, the sweet taste of strawberry bursting across his tongue. Clover appeared next to the blond, a chalice in hand, which told Qrow that the body behind him, keeping him up was James. He relaxed in their care, Tai feeding him, Clover pressing the cup to his lips, James holding him and petting along his arms and sides. 

It was bliss.

Which is what convinced Qrow that it was not ture.

He must still be dreaming. It was no surprise, he supposed. After all the aching he held inside, it was bound to find a release somehow. He would need to speak to Fox about these intrusions. Mayhaps the blind man of Love’s Dreams would know how to block these dreams from invading his slumber outside the sanctuary of his own home, his own bed. It was not that he did not enjoy them. It was simply that he could not handle the heartbreak of waking from them. Not when he had to face these men when he woke. Surely the other would understand the request, he too hid his love from the one whom he wished to be with. Though Qrow only knew of it from a spirit that he had sheltered on the path to the next realm.

“Qrow…” Clover’s voice brought his eyes open once more. He had not realized he had closed them. “Qrow, please, we need to know.” 

“Hmmm?” Qrow’s confusion barely hummed out of him, he was so at peace with these three. His friends, his companions. 

“Will you accept us? Do you desire this?” What could Tai mean by that? He loved these men, trusted them like no other. How could he ever reject them? A gold hand trailed a line of heat down his neck.

Qrow arched into the lingering touch as the tips of warm fingers dragged over his collar bones. The touch stopped, left him wanting as it disappeared from his skin and he realized his eyes had closed again. When he opened them, he found teal and blue watching him expectantly, waiting for his answer before they did anything more. This was not like his other dreams but it was not that vastly different either. None of them were ever the same, each changing with his last thoughts upon falling asleep. Whatever the case was, there was but one answer he could give to them. “Please. I ache for you…” 

It was enough of an answer, the blanket around him was pulled away so that he was revealed to their eyes. His head was tipped back against a broad shoulder so James could bestow a kiss upon him while another mouth claimed territory on his neck and chest. Hands parted his legs, sliding down the length of them in appreciation. Pale fingers dug into tanned muscle when an oiled finger breached him, the sensation foriegn but not unpleasant. His back arched as the finger pressed up farther into him, exploring his walls and seeking for the most sensitive spots to tease. He broke away from James, looking over Tai’s back to see Clover where he rested between Qrow’s spread thighs. His grip on Tai tightened when teeth scraped over a tender spot on his neck, a shocked moan escaping him.

It was sharp, intense, near overwhelming when another finger stretched him even more. No dream had ever been so strong, the waves of pleasure crashing hard over him when Tai’s hand skittered down his abdomen to grasp him, to stroke him as Clover curled deep inside him. One of the hands snuck around him to his chest and he mewled when it teased at the buds it found, tugging and twisting gently while Qrow squirmed where he was trapped by the three of them. He shook in their hold, unable to keep track of their touches, their mouths as they trailed over him, finding his weak points and using them mercilessly while he whimpered helplessly. There was no escape from it as the sensations grew and twisted, built up until he was afraid they would all come crumbling down on him. He dug into Tai’s arm with one hand, clawed at James's hand with the other. His legs kicked, heels digging into the bedding as he tried to get away from the pleasure he had never felt before. 

Death was not wanted.

Death was not loved.

Death was not touched like this.

Qrow’s lashes were wet with tears, his whimpers both frightened from not understanding the feelings tearing through him and forced out by the pleasure he _did_ recognize. The touches shifted, hands petting him, mouths whispering in his ears. Promises that all was well, that he just needed to let go, to stop fighting. He sobbed, quaking as he tried to listen, tried to relax and allow them to continue. Clover’s fingers, his _four_ fingers ( _when…?_ ), curled in him, striking something that sent Qrow reeling, tumbling, shattering into countless pieces scattered amongst the stars above them. He was still quivering, panting heavily against a bronzed shoulder, when he felt his body being shifted, his arms around Clover’s broad shoulders and resting his head against the heated neck. Hands caressed his back, trailing down to pull back his hips and a kiss was placed between his shoulder blades, lips trailing up to the nape of his neck.

“Qrow?” James’s voice trembled through his hair, pleading, _begging_. For what Qrow did not know. But he could not bring himself to deny them, could not turn them away when they had brought him such bliss. More than he had ever dared to imagine existed in the world. 

“Yes…” The word hissed out of him on a weak breath, leaving him waiting, hoping it was enough. That it was the answer to whatever question James had asked of him.

Qrow felt James shift, felt hot flesh as it pressed against him, pressed _into_ him. He moaned against Clover’s neck, felt the rumble of James’s groan in his chest against his back. Hands soothed him, so many hands, trailing over him until the tremors had ceased, until he pushed back to meet James, to take him as deeply as he could. James held the pale body steady as he pulled back, sinking back in as powerfully as he could. Qrow wailed, the beautiful sound echoing in his ears, lighting his nerves on fire and driving every hard roll of his hips into the lithe body. By all the powers, he had failed to dream how exquisite Qrow felt around him. The tight channel gripping him relentlessly, clenching down every time he sank in, hitting the spot that sent Qrow through another storm of breathtaking bliss. 

Clover held tight as Qrow shuddered against him, the lovely eyes they so admired drifting unseeingly as his head rolled back. The alabaster cheeks were flushed a pale rose, lips swollen from their earlier attentions and the way Qrow kept biting at them, attempting to stifle the noises pouring out of him. The man could not think of a lovelier sight than what was before him as a second wave crested over Qrow, the Shadow left shivering in the aftermath as James chased his own release. He pulled the other close, watched a gold hand card through raven locks to keep Qrow calm as it started to become too intense, too unknown, again. They did not want Qrow to fear this, to fear them. Not ever. Tai claimed James’s mouth in a harsh kiss as the man finally sank deep and stopped, shuddering through his finish as the pale form bore down on him.

Qrow felt a quiver in his body when he was left empty, the absence of another leaving him aching in a way he did not know how to counter. The hands were on him again, caressing, soothing, but still teasing, stroking at the embers of passion until it was a roaring fire within him once more. This time it was Tai and Clover who sought his answer, this time it was to them that he gave his blessing for whatever they asked. They had brought him this far, he trusted them to carry him through the rest of the night. 

Clover lay back shifting his grip from Qrow’s waist to his hips while he gently, carefully, _slowly_ lowered the sensitive body down onto him, feeling every twitch and shift as Qrow whined. They were asking for so much from him, more than they felt they should be asking, but he granted them this, pulled them closer instead of pushing them away. Tai pressed a shaking kiss to the back of Qrow’s shoulder as he slid his fingers into the flushed ring, drawing in a shaking breath at the shriek his actions invoked. But Qrow did not call for them to stop, did nothing more than bow his head, resting it against Clover while he panted, brows furrowed with the effort of staying still for them. The squeal Qrow that broke out of Qrow when Tai pushed in with Clover was followed closely by a hard sob, both of them holding their place while James reached out to cup a flushed cheek, thumbing away the tears that had leaked free. 

“ _Qrow?_ ”

That voice again, that tone. Pleading, begging. Qrow pressed trembling lips to the large palm in a kiss, bucking back against the flesh that split him open. The hands holding him tightened, fingers digging into his flesh while moans echoed around him, echoed in his head until it was all he could hear. Then they moved. The world around him faded until all that existed was them, the shifting of their bodies, the way they collided inside him, fighting and joining all at once. His sight blurred, faded, his eyes rolling back until he was certain the darkness of his realm had come to claim him from this dream, to drag him back to wakefulness in his own cold, empty bed. He did not want to go, fought against the pull by tightening his knees against Clover’s hips, by throwing his arms behind him to hold onto Tai as best he could, by parting his lips to accept the kiss James pressed to them. He could not silence himself, not even with James’s aid could the whimpers and mewls dripping past his lips be stopped. The men joined with him growling fiercely as they moved. 

He felt the cracking of his mind, felt every fracture that grew and splintered with every thrust, every roll, every strike inside him by the two others. James’s hands were on his face again, a small comfort to the tears that rained down from his eyes. An anchor he tried so desperately to hold onto as his mind finally shattered again, pieces flying so far away he wondered if he could ever be made whole once more. The two within him swore, bucking into him wildly before everything became still, became silent. There was naught but panting, only the faint quiet whimpers still lingering in his every breath to break the rhythm, the stillness. 

He gasped a quiet sob when they left him, when he was again empty and aching, abandoned. The hands stroked over him, a warm, wet cloth soothing over his skin to cleanse him. His eyes fluttered, still struggling against the shadows of his realm, of his mind, though he knew he was losing. It was when he felt arms about him, the gentle weight of cloth over him, that his hold slipped and he fell into the abyss convinced he’d wake in his home and be forced to greet his long missed friends after such a dream of them once more.

~*~

The first signs of dawn were exceptionally bright to his eyes, enough that he stirred, enough that he realized it should not be there. His realm did not have a dawn, not like this. The dawn of his home was muted, grey, misted over and clouded so that the sun could not even be seen properly. There were no warm golden rays to caress skin, not brightness to reflect in eyes. Qrow blink his eyes open to see the glowing sky of the predawn outside a white marble arched window, green drapes billowing in the gentle breeze. The heat of other bodies had kept him warm, far warmer than he could ever recall waking. 

Tai’s.

He was still at Tai’s. 

Had he truly been so indecent, so disrespectful of his friends, of the loving relationship they had so painstakingly built with each other, that he had brought such a vivid dream into their home, into their _bed_?

He could not…

He could not stay here.

He could not wake with them like this when it was not his place.

Qrow twisted in the loose hold, slithering down under the covers and sliding down the bed until he could escape from the bottom where he would not risk waking one of the three friends he had intended to visit. It had clearly been too soon for him to come here. Too soon to face the love they shared. The love that did not include him. He needed to go home where he belonged, his true place in shadow and darkness among the dead, the dearly departed. The Shadow did not even allow himself the grace of dressing as he saw Tai scowl in his sleep, empty arm seeking the body he had held moments before. Qrow only allowed himself time to gather his things before he stepped into the shadows, fading from sight as crystal blue eyes parted to open. 

Qrow made his way back to his home quickly, avoiding all others in his current state of undress. He knew how to keep out of his sister’s sight, did not need her knowing his shame. It was enough that he knew the unseen cloak he wore upon his shoulders. It was not until Qrow had closed the door of his bathing chamber that he stopped, that his mind and thoughts started to catch up with his body.

Why, in the name of all the powers, was he _naked_? He was certain, _absolutely certain_ , that he’d been fully clothed when Clover had taken him to bed for rest. Mayhaps the bathing had not been a dream then. It would not be unheard of for his friends to take care of him after all. Though, bathing him was certainly more forward than they had ever been in the past. Of course, he had been gone for so long, they likely wanted to make up for all that they had been unable to do before and he had clearly not been caring for himself in their absence. He likely had fallen back asleep after the feeding. That was when the dream had begun. That was why the dream had been so different from all the previous ones. He nodded to himself, understanding better now what all had happened.

As he carefully dropped down into the cool water of his own realm, he recalled his promise to make a way for his friends to reach him. He would do that after he was finished, it would take a bit of time to complete and he did not wish to leave them missing him for so long again. He spent the time washing deciding what he would make for each one, a mirrored shield charm for James, a silver sun for Tai, a silver heart for Clover. Each tied to their powers but built from his metals, his power, so that they would be keyed to them. Yes, those would do nicely. He had a soft smile while he climbed out to dry, melancholy but pleased. He could keep his promise, he could still be there for them. He did not have to lose his friends over his own heart. 

The reflection in his mirror when he went to dress froze him.

There were bruises on his hips, his waist. A ring of teeth marks on his shoulder from a bite he could not remember receiving. 

More than that, there was _life_.

He could see it glowing. A tiny bright spot inside him, a soul growing into being. 

When Qrow met the eyes of his own reflection, they were wide, shocked. He was as pale as any corpse, paler even, nearly as intangible as the spirits he claimed. He stumbled back from the mirror, knees collapsing as he knocked against the bed. He understood now, knew that it had not been a dream as he had so firmly believed it to be. But, why?

Why would they call him into their bed when they had each other? He was not one of them, a friend yes, but he was darkness, shadow, while they were light. He was death, while they were life. His eyes dropped down, hands carefully coming to rest over the shining light within his body. 

Could it survive inside him?

Could he bring life into the world as Tai and Clover so effortlessly did every day? Or would his Death snuff the fragile being out of existence before it had a chance? 

Shaking, Qrow stood to dress quickly. He needed answers and there was only one person he trusted to tell him the truth. It may hurt to hear, especially if he was told he was right, but he needed to know. He needed to know before he returned to the others. He could not go to them knowing he carried a child that was sentenced to die. He needed to know if it would live.

~*~

He found her in her garden, silver eyes shining as she looked upon her frolicking children. Like Tao and Clover, Summer held Fertility to her name, but she also held Motherhood and Childbirth. It was why he’d chosen her to ask. She might not have the eyes of Death, but she could tell him if the child would live, if it would be born unto the world or taken away before the time came. Qrow approached her openly, smiling at the young ones who cast him curious looks. She waited patiently where she sat, motioning him to the spot beside her once he had reached her. 

“Congratulations!” Her voice was as bright and cheerful as her home, her children, and he offered a small smile.

“It… It will make it to the birth then?” He wondered aloud, hesitant to think such positive thoughts when he knew what he was.

“Of course!” Summer’s eyes blinked, seeming shocked that he would question it. Her head tipped as she regarded him. “Why would you believe otherwise?”

“I… I am one of Death. Not Life. I did not think…” His hands rested over the tiny light again, wishing he could protect it from himself and the rest of the darkness in the world. 

“Qrow… You are one of Death, yes, but you are not _just_ Death. You are _Rebirth_. The soul inside you is one who is ready to live again. And with you bearing it, it will do so.” Summer’s small hand came to rest over his own, lacing her fingers through his comfortingly. 

He… He had not thought of that. Of Rebirth. Not past choosing a soul for the three of them should they ever desire a child. A child that he now carried inside him. He stopped that thought. He could not make that leap, not without them knowing first. It would be unfair to decide whether they wanted him and the child without their knowledge. As it was he had already left them after… He fought back a blush. A thought for his return then. Qrow gave Summer something closer to a proper smile and started asking questions he knew he would need answers to if he were to properly care for the life within him. He would go to the others once he knew everything he needed to know.

~*~

Clover ran his fingers through Tai’s hair in comfort, leaning further back into James’s embrace. Tai had all but collapsed after confessing what he had witnessed. Recounted the way Qrow had vanished into his shadows without a glance back at them and then fallen into Clover’s lap to mourn. It left them questioning all that had happened that night. If Qrow had truly wanted it or if he had felt pressured. If Qrow loved them the way they loved him or if he had merely desired them for the night. They had no answers, no way of _getting_ answers. Not until Qrow returned to them, or fulfilled his promise to gift them a way to contact him. 

The wound they thought had been healed bled worse now than ever. 

They had hardly left the bed that day, remaining twined together in comfort. James watched over them both, wishing there was something he could do to brighten them both, to ease the pain they suffered. But he did not know how to ease his own pain let alone how to ease their’s. The most he could do was watch over them, do his best to ensure they took care of themselves, that they did not dim completely. He could ensure that no one tried to harm them while they were at their lowest. But that was all he could do. Watch, protect, ensure. He could love them, take care of them. But he could not take away the pain. 

James started, wondering if he could even keep the men he loved safe, when he finally noticed the darkness lingering in the corners. He was not aware of how long the other had been lurking but he knew that he felt relief the other had come back so soon. Qrow stood eyes trailing over them as he held himself, uncertainty in every line of his body. James reached out a hand despite the distance that separated them, silently beckoning the Shadow closer. 

Soft red stared at the hand, flicking up to solemn deep blue, before he slowly crept out of his portal, away from the safety of a quick escape should the men be enraged with him, with what he had done that morn. But there was no trace of anger in the features that asked for him, naught but relief and mayhaps happiness when he laid his hand within the grasp of the larger one waiting for him. He was guided down, pulled into a strong side and tucked under a powerful arm to be held, to be cradled, and he pressed his face to the muscled chest. A kiss was pressed to his temple, a silent forgiveness for his transgression as James tried to curl around him without disturbing the other two resting in the bed with them. 

“I… I am sorry.” He whispered against the marble skin, his voice wavering with his guilt.

“Why, Qrow?” James’s voice breezed through his hair, ruffling the strands. “Why leave us? Did you not want us as we believed? Did we hurt you?”

“No, not that.” Qrow pulled back to look up at the agonized expression he had put on the handsome face. “I… I thought it was a dream. That… that it had not been real and that I had… that I had been…” He felt his face heat as he tried to force the words past his lips, stopping to swallow down the pain he had carried for so long. The pain that he had no place amongst them, that they were happier together as only his friends. Something shifted in the cobalt orbs, his lips twisting from pained to determined. Qrow had no time to question it as James’s other hand left Clover to cup his jaw, tipping his face up as he descended upon him to lay claim. The kiss was forceful, dominating, leaving him gasping for breath by the time he was set free. 

“Does this still feel like a dream to you?” James’s eyes bore into him, expectant and commanding, waiting for an answer.

“No?” Qrow’s voice quavered, more a question than an answer and felt the hand on his jaw tighten, the one around him dropping to the small of his back to pull him closer, their bodies pressed tight as James took his mouth again. Qrow was dizzy when he was released, left clinging to the broad shoulders and struggling to make sense of the way the world swayed around him as if he were standing on the waves of the sea. 

“And now?”

“No…” The answer was faint, weak, but certain. It was enough, enough that his jaw was no longer being held captive, that James leaned back so he was no longer looming over Qrow. It was then that he saw Clover and Tai sitting up in the bed, the covers pooled around their hips, eyes watching intently and burning with both hope and hunger. He did not know for certain when they had woken, how much they had heard, but however much it was, it told them enough of what they felt they needed to know. 

“So… you will stay with us?” Tai reached out, his hand dragging against the cloth that covered Qrow’s legs. 

He dropped his eyes, nodding to the question while he bit his lip. “I… hadn’t wanted to leave you. I simply believed that I had dreamed the night. It would have been… _wrong_ of me to have such thoughts when I was not one of you. I… thought it would be better for me to return home and make the charms there.”

“No, no. You have _always_ been one of us, we simply lacked the words to say so.” Clover tipped his head up, fingertips gently nudging his chin. “It took your absence to bring us together. We asked Pyrrha to call on you so we could ask… if you would consider joining us…”

“When we said we missed you deeply, we _meant_ it, Qrow.” Tai’s hand wrapped around his wrist, holding onto him as if he were about to slip away again back into the shadows of his home where they could not follow. 

“I am sorry.” He felt that he could not say it enough, could never make up for the ache he had invoked where it did not belong. Gentle fingers covered his lips, stilling the words before they tumbled further. 

“There is no need for such things. We have all made mistakes and they are behind us now. What I would like to know is, if you believed it a dream, what brought you back to us? What convinced you that it had been real?” James allowed his hand to fall so Qrow could speak.

A faint flush colored the pale cheeks again, Qrow’s eyes dropping once more. “There were… lingering marks of our passion.”

A wave of understanding when through them all, Tai and Clover chuckling quietly. James shushed them gently, amusement lighting his eyes. “As helpful as that is, I do hope we did not leave anything too hurtful behind.”

“Well…” Qrow’s eyes flicked up, darting from one concerned face to the next as their worry built. He knew that the news he bore was not quite what James meant, but it was news they needed to hear, news he _needed to say_. “I…” He swallowed dryly, clearing his throat to force the words free. “I have more than just marks on my skin.” His voice wavered, his eyes dropped, unable to hold the intense gazes leveled at him. He drew his legs closer, on the verge of curling up into himself. “I… I carry life within me now…”

“You… carry… life?” Tai breathed the words, tasting them as if he had never dreamed to say them. Qrow felt Tai look down, look deeper, sensing the bright spark of a soul, of a life. “It’s… so bright…”

Clover’s eyes were wide, his hand shaking as he rested it where Qrow’s covered the child. “We have a child?”

“We will…” Qrow murmured, feeling James’s arm tighten around him. “I went to Summer once I realized. She says that both of your Fertility and Tai’s Life with my Rebirth, created this. The child will be strong, strong enough to make it to birth.”

There was joy around him, tears of happiness and watery laughs as they held him close, taking turns to ensure he ate and drank while he rested. There would be more talk later, of where he would stay and how he would continue his duties. Of where they would make a room for the young and what name they would use. But for now, they simply took care of him, holding him and promising it was not a dream, that he would not wake from this alone. That they were real and would stay with him. That they would love him and each other and the child until the end of time.


End file.
